Germany Love Parade Tragedy: Death Toll Rises After Stampede At Festival
source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/24/germany-love-parade-trage_n_658216.html
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German media reported that as many as 1.4 million people showed up to the Love Parade, where a mass panic Saturday left 19 people crushed to death and 342 injured. Police blamed organizers and officials in Duisburg, an industrial city that gave the world's largest techno music festival a home after it was driven from Berlin because of noise and overcrowding.
Witnesses, however, blamed police and private security staff, saying the panic broke out after they closed the end of a tunnel – the only entrance to the festival grounds – when the venue became too full. Police denied that and said they actually opened a second exit to disperse the masses before the accident happened.
It remained unclear Sunday what exactly triggered the panic, but it appeared that several people trying to escape the pushing crowds climbed up a steep metal stairway on a ramp in front of the tunnel and fell into the crowd. Amateur video footage showed thousands of festival goers crammed wall to wall, with some trying desperately to climb out.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/24/germany-love-parade-trage_n_658216.html
Witnesses, however, blamed police and private security staff, saying the panic broke out after they closed the end of a tunnel – the only entrance to the festival grounds – when the venue became too full. Police denied that and said they actually opened a second exit to disperse the masses before the accident happened.
It remained unclear Sunday what exactly triggered the panic, but it appeared that several people trying to escape the pushing crowds climbed up a steep metal stairway on a ramp in front of the tunnel and fell into the crowd. Amateur video footage showed thousands of festival goers crammed wall to wall, with some trying desperately to climb out.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/24/germany-love-parade-trage_n_658216.html
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